A Killer in the Rye (Deadly Deli Mystery, #3)

by Delia Rosen

[MurderByDeath]

Well, if I hadn't needed this book for a challenge, I would have stopped long before reaching the end of Chapter 5. Gwen is an absolute raving lunatic in the first few chapters - ripping into everyone, treating everyone really badly and acting like an ass. A real turn-off. But as I mentioned, I really needed this book for a challenge so I soldiered on. The good news is it does improve dramatically as the story progresses, but I'm not sure it improves enough for me to continue on with the series.

The mystery behind this one - who killed the bread delivery guy - was well crafted with a lot of suspects and a really well done ending. The author did a really good job with the plot itself and with most of the secondary characters. Perhaps she decided she herself did not like Gwen and chose to rip her apart so that she could re-build her character? I don't know.

I'll also note that the blurb on the back is just flat out incorrect in at least one big way: "With the pregnant wife of the expired driver due any minute..." No pregnancy at all in this book. Must have been some serious re-writes going on before publishing?